Pre-payment devices adapted to limit the duration of operation of a clockwork movement



Feb. 14, 1961 M. WEBER 2,971,624

PRE-PAYMENT DEVICES ADAPTED To LIMIT THE DURATION 0E OPERATION 0E A cLocxwoRK MOVEMENT Filed Jan. :51, 1958 United States. Patent O "ice Y 2,911,624 Y PRE-PAYMENT DEVICES ADAPTED' To' THE DURATION OF OPERATION OF A CLOCK-- WORK MOVEMENT t MaxWeberg'Ren'ens, Swlitierlan'cl, assignor tnEtablissement Annota; Vaduz, Liechtenstein* Filed Jari. 31, 1958, Sel'. N0. 712,421

Claims priority, application Switzerland Feb.5,1`95`7 4 Ciai'rrrs.v (ci. 194-19) Clockwork'movementsare already known which `are combmed with a Pre'payment device so as not to func' fvents the spin'dl'eifrom turning-iin the Oppositedire'ction.

tionv until one or more pieces of money have been inf troduced `into an orice provided for this purpose. lThese devices are generally known as saving-clocks, which Yare often loaned by assurance companies for encouraging the public to regularly insert their insurance Premium. In known constructions of this type, the mechanism for the introduction of the*Y money is constructed in suelta manner that the escapement of the clockwork is braked afteraV predetermined duration of operation. In some ofthese constructions, this duration is dependentronfthe number of coins introduced into the pre-payment device.

This construction has some disadvantages,as first-ly theme-payment device necessitates mechanical parts of considerable precision for acting on the escapement; sec-v ondly, the braking action on the escapement is not al- Y ways very reliable and it inuences the accurate oper ation of the movement in the course of time. Another inconvenience resides in the fact that it is relatively complicated to modify the mechanism for adaptingfit to another value of pieces of money or another quantity of pieces of money which can be introduced into the de vice at one time. Y i

The present invention'has for its object to-ren'edy these disadvantages; Itis directed to a prepayment device adapted tO limit the duration of Operation of a cljockwork'move'ment, comprising' an o'rice for'thintroduction of apiece of money'andia passage f-O'r'gtiiding said latter into a receptacle, a member being located in the path of the coin in such a manner as to be displaced by each coin introduced, characterised in that said member acts on a device recording the number of coins ntroduced, said device having means for locking the winding mechanism so as to limit the rewinding to a value dependent on the number of pieces of money introduced.

One form of construction of the device forming the subject of the invention is shown diagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawing, where- Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of said device, one of the plates being removed.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-ll of Fig. l.

The device shown comprises a winding spindle 1 of which the end 1a (Fig. 2) is adapted to drive the barrel of a clockwork movement, not shown. Said spindle 1 carries a toothed pinion 2 with which it is solid in rotation. Said pinion 2 drives a toothed wheel 3, solid in rotation with a spindle 4 pivoted between two plates 5 and 6. On the spindle 4, a wheel 7 can pivot freely and it is located at the side of the toothed wheel 3. Said latter has a stop 8 adapted to co-operate with a stop 9 of the wheel 7. A spiral spring 10 is secured at its inner end to a part 11 secured to the spindle 4 and at its other end to a pin 12 ofthe wheel 7.

With reference to Fig. l, the spring 10 tends to drive the wheel 7 in a clockwise direction in such a manner as to withdraw the stop 9 away from the stop 8. This rotation vof the wheelf7-is prevented bya lever 13'hinged1to a trunnion 14 secured'betweenthe plates 5 and 6; One end of said lever`13 projects into a passage 15 adaptedto guide the pieces' 16` ofVV money which'areintroduced through an orifice 17. The other end'of said 1ever,rin thevfomro'f'a'be'ak 18,' prevents rotation of the-'wheel 7 by the action whcl it 'exerts on screws 19secured to `one faceof saidwhel. The" latteralso vcarries nipples 20 of whichv the numberis'fequ'al'to that'of'thev screws 19: The end-118 `of the lever `13`has a notch' 21 adapted' to permit-the p'ssageof' the nipples 201' when the fleve'r is located in the-positioirshown in the'drawin'g.

The windinglspindleflf should be 'turned inta counterclockwise direction, with-"-reference to Fig'.- 1 tofen'sure` the necessary rewinding; A". mechanism, not shown; pre= It willfbe see'nthat'in vthe positionsl'iownin the drawe' ing, it is not possible to *rewindtheclo'ckwork movement, asthefmovement ofrotationwhich is to be imparted to the spindle lfshould drive the' toothed wheel `3 'in faclockwisedirection, andthis rotation is impossiblefas'itsstop 8 is in contact with" the stop`9of the'wheel 7 which-'cam' not tur'nlin this directioniby'reason ofthe action ofthe end 18 of the lever 13 abutting one of the screws 19. When a piece lof moneyil is iintroducedinto the'riorifice 17, it descends 'by-f gravity inits guidepassa'gef 15- and during its descentit displacesthe end ofthe lever-'1.3'by causing the lattertpivot'against the action of its" return spring22.` ThismOVement of they lever-13`disen'gages its end 18 from the" screwf19 and-thel spring 1 10 drives the wheel 7 in rotation ina clockwise direction until the nip-P ple 20 alims-against theend 18.V VAfter the passage-of the piece of' money 16, the lever 13 'isreturne'd b'y-*the spring '22 into' itspositionsho'wn inthe drawin'g'and"thenotch 21 comes'- into position opposite the` nipple 20; whereby the wheel '7"is`1al1owed to turn' until'the next screw 19'comes` intofconta'ctwith'the end-'of thef lever 1-3. The lpassage of'a'piec'eof moneyhas thus produced a rotation of one-'eighth of a* revolution ofthe wleel-7 andY the stop? 9 hasfniovedawayfrom the stop. S'byla corresponding?arriount:v It isthus" possible `to=`tufrnV the winding spindleI lfin Ia.vcc'vunterclockwise 'directionfuntil 'the two said stops again come into contact with one another.

When a number of coins are introduced successively into the orifice 17, the lever 13 is moved a number of times by these coins and at each of its oscillations, the wheel 7 can make a rotation of one-eighth of a revolu.- tion. It is possible to rewind the clockwork movement by turning the spindle 1 until the two stops 8 and 9 are again in contact. The amount of rewinding is thus proportional to the number of coins introduced. The wheel 7 can effect at the maximum a rotation less than a complete revolution, during which the stop 9 passes from the left of the stop 8 to the right hand side thereof. When an eighth coin is introduced, the wheel 7 can commence to turn in a clockwise direction under the action of the spring 10 when this eighth coin has caused the lever 1 3 to rock. Meanwhile, the wheel 7 cannot carry out a rotation equal to one-eighth of a revolution as the stop 9 meets the stop 8 when the lever 13 has resumed its position of rest and a nipple 20 has lightly engaged in the notch 21. This results in a locking of the leverv 13, which can no longer rock, even when coins are continued to be introduced into the orice 17. Said coins thus accumulate upwardly in the passage 15 on the end of the lever 13 and remain blocked in this portion of the passage as long asa rewinding o-f the clockwork movement has not taken place. When rewinding has taken place, the rotation of the toothed wheel 3 permits of a supplementary rotation of the wheel 7, whereby the lever 13 is released and allows of the passage of the coins accumu- Patented Febr-'14', 1961 lated in the passage in proportion to the riwindng. The

coins .which have actuated the lever 13 then fall intoa receptacle, not shown.

When introducing into the orifice 17 coins of which the diameter is smaller than thatofthe'coins Vfor which the pre-payment device is provided, said coins of smaller diameter can pass into the passage 15 without suiciently moving the end of the lever 13 for releasing one ofthe screws 19 of the wheel 7.

It is possible to increase the value of rewinding for a definite amount of money by removing some of the screws 19. When removing one oi two screws, for example, it will be seen that the wheel 7 can'effect, at each passage of a piece of money, a rotation of a quarter of a revolution, which increases the possibility` ofrrewinding. This possibility of adjustment is veryv advantageous in some cases. Thus, an insurance company may possess 'a single clockwork model and adjust each clockwork so as to adapt it to the premium which is selected by the insured.

The wheel 7 constitutes, with the lever 13, a device which registers the number of coins passing into ythe passage 15 and which thus allows of a rewinding proportional to said number of coins. It will be understood that this recording device may be constructed in adierent manner and the screws 19 may in particular be replaced by bosses on the wheel 7. The number of these bosses or screws 19, may be of any number desired.

I claim: Y

l. In a pre-payment device adapted to limit the duration of operation of a clockwork movement,said device having a winding mechanism, an orificeA for the introduction of a coin, a passage for guiding said coin into a receptacle, and an oscillating lever located in the path of said coin, so as to be displaced by each coin introduced into said orifice, the combinationV comprising, means adapted to register the number of coins introduced in-v cluding a rotatable member engaging with said winding mechanism, said rotatable member Vcomprising a` first wheel driven in rotation by said winding mechanism and a movable part for locking said rotatable member and thus locking said winding mechanism, said movable part comprising a second wheel located in side by side relation to said first wheel, each of said wheelsA having cooperating stop means secured to their opposed faces, said stop means serving to limit the relative rotation of said two wheels, means for driving said second wheel in rotation through an'angle proportional to the number of coins introduced into said orifice to permit the rewinding of said clockwork movement until the said stop means of said first wheel engages the stop means of said second wheel and prevents said lirst wheel from turning further, thus locking the rewinding of the movement, said oscillating lever acting on said movable part to move it out of its locking position and Vto allow the rewindinggof the clockwork to value depending on the number of coins introduced in said orifice.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means for driving said second wheel comprises a spring tending to cause it to turn in the same direction as that of said first wheel during the rewinding of said winding mechanism,'said oscillating lever cooperating, by one of its ends, with stops carried by said second wheel, so as to prevent it from turning under the action of said spring, the other end of said oscillating lever projecting into said guide passage for the coins in such a manner that each coin produces, during its passage, an oscillation ofV said lever, in order to liberate the stop from contact with the other end of said lever and thus allowing said second wheel to turn until the next stop comes-into contact with said oscillating lever.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the stops adapted to co-operate with the end of said oscillating lever are secured to the second wheel in a removable manner, whereby one or more of said stops may be removed so as to vary the value of rewinding for a predetermined amount of money.

Y 4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said Second wheel carries two series of stops located respectively on two circumferences, the extremity of said oscillating lever being placed in the path of one of the series of said stops when it is located in one of its extreme positions of oscillation and in the path of said stops of the other series when it is in its other extreme position of oscillation.

References Cited in the file of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS VV775,058 Wessels Nov. l5, 1904 1,337,539 `Bull Apr. 20, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS 24,145 Great Britain n of 1911 107,530 Sweden June 1, 1943 .7 num. 

